Punjab: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has been appointed the chief of the party’s Punjab unit amid a tussle with the state’s Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
Reportedly, Singh was ignored on the choice for working presidents. He had reportedly suggested four names for working presidents and PCC chief — Cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla, Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Tarsem D C and Ajit Inder Singh Mofar.
Besides Sidhu, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi also appointed Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra as the working presidents of the Punjab Congress unit.
Tensions had intensified in the Congress’ Punjab unit over the past few weeks, with Sidhu censuring Singh, alleging that his colleagues were being threatened for raising questions on the state government’s handling of the ‘sacrilege’ case and for ‘speaking the truth on the matter’.
Reacting to Sidhu’s appointment, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party high command “must have taken a thoughtful decision”.
“He is young and was an active parliamentarian. He has the zeal to work so we welcome it,” Kharge said, according to news agency ANI.
“What High Command decided is 100 percent right. No one’s upset, everything will be alright,” Congress MLA Nirmal Singh Shutrana told ANI.
The decision came on the day Singh was quoted as saying that “any decision taken by Congress President Sonia Gandhi will be acceptable to all,” with NDTV reporting that he had placed certain caveats to his appointment.
As reports, the Chief Minister of the state had earlier written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and warned that the party would split if Sidhu is given charge of the state Congress.
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